Origin of the Dragon Rider
by Tebbit
Summary: An old book, an ancient door, and a world in chaos. Something has gone horribly wrong, and the world behind the Secret Door needs a hero. Destiny has chosen an old butler. Will he save a forgotten world, or aid in it's destruction? Chapter 2 is here!
1. Chapter 1

Origin of the Dragon Rider

Chapter One

On a cold, blustery night in November, a family was sitting down for a story by a cozy fire. The room this family sat in was quite spacious, save for a beautifully convoluted chandelier, some paintings lining the walls, a fireplace brightly burning, an oval rug, and a comfortable yet elegant loveseat. In front of this sofa was a small table, and on it were four mugs of cocoa, save for one that was made with vanilla, since one of them had a chocolate allergy.

The family gathered together on the love seat, the oldest one sitting first, and the three youngest take spots on her lap. She pulled the story book from behind her, flipped gently to the first page, and began.

"Once upon a time, in a beautiful realm very close to ours, there lived a desperate King and his people."

"What's 'desperate' mean?"

"Shhh!"

"Don't shush your brother, he asked a question. When someone is desperate, they are searching for an answer to a problem with great urgency."

"What's 'urgency' mean?"

"Now, now, you'll learn in due time; you're a smart boy. Let me continue. Where was I? Ah, here we are: The King was fighting a great battle with an evil monstrosity known as the Dragon Rider, a vicious, masked man who wished to rule over the Realm, but needed to dispose of the King first!

"The Dragon rider sent out a hoard of violent minions to burn every town and city, and then raid the castle where the king stayed, but the King's knights were right there to fight them at each town… sadly, many lost their lives. The King could see, by his extensive losses, that he was fighting a losing battle. So, in order to strengthen his men and ensure his victory, he sent for a witch to turn his knights into powerful bears."

"Oooh!"

"That's strange…"

"It's part of the story… now, let's see what's next… here we go: After each knight was transformed, the witch demanded payment. Even after all she had done for him, and after all the power she had used, the selfish King instead denied her money! Out of anger, and using the last of her strength, she pulled out her magic staff, aimed at the King and his knights, fired a spell, and then… the King was dust. He was just… dust… and the knights, when they opened their eyes, found they were five times smaller than before!"

"What?!"

"Now, now, settle. It's going to be fine. Now, pay attention. The Bear knights, without their King and his leadership, were hopeless, and lost, and even more so without their height. They would soon lose their wonderful Realm to the evil Dragon Rider, and it would fall into darkness forever! But, there was hope. The Knights discovered the Witch's spell book after she had faded away, and saw a prophecy. It foretold that a hero would descend from our very own world and take the King's place. He would lead them to victory and peace… and this Chosen One's name was…"

Mrs. Cramdilly turned the page, and frowned. Eyebrow raised, she fingered the inside of the book. Her three young kittens, named Gordon, Waffle, and Mr. Blik, gazed up at her with their large, bright eyes in confusion.

"Why did you stop," asked Waffle, the gray kitten with hanging ears and blue stripes wrapped around his ear and tail, "Do you have intestinal distress?"

"Well, this is odd…" muttered Mrs. Cramdilly aloud, "But the next page is missing." She passed her long, bony finger once more over the thin, ripped root of what was supposed to be the final page of the fable entitled, "The Dragon Rider". She continued with, "It looks as if someone has torn the page out… oh my..."

"It wasn't me," said Gordon, the white kitten with the stumpy orange tail and patch over his eye, gesturing to himself with his tiny paws. Mr. Blik, the black kitten did the same, with his even tinier paws, and shook his head. Waffle only kept staring up at the old Mrs. Cramdilly, and she, noticing the true innocence in his eyes, knew it was not him either. She shook her head, and began to say, "All right, that's all for now," but was interrupted by a voice from the entrance to the room.

"Might I suggest that I look for it?" The voice was accented with light English, and was raspy, yet sophisticated. The man's shadow stood in the archway that led into the other rooms of the mansion, and was only a silhouette. However, as he stepped into the light of the fire, his figure became clear.

The man was tall and mostly thin, but not as thin as old Mrs. Cramdilly. He stood with a dignified posture, his hands clasped together behind his back, and his chin held high. His hair was jet-black and thinning. His attire consisted of a white collared shirt with a black tie beneath a black formal jacket, brown slacks, and shiny, black pointed shoes.

"Ah, Hovis, thank goodness you're here!" exclaimed Mrs. Cramdilly, closing the book in her arms and ushering the kittens gently from her lap. "Would you be a dear and find it? The kittens are desperately waiting to see who their story's hero is." Hovis bowed lightly. Mrs. Cramdilly pushed a frail strand of gray hair out of her long, pointed face and smiled. She then asked the kittens to collect their mugs and bring them into the kitchen, and lifting up her long, pink dress, went off to meet them. As she passed Hovis, she patted his shoulder and whispered, "You may wish to check the basement."

Hovis stood, now alone, in the family room, watching the flames from the fireplace crackle and dance in the tight space. He would have to put them out soon, not wanting to risk the entire mansion burning down. With a swift turn of his heels, the butler was out of the family room and down the hallway to the first place he wished to look: the basement, which Mrs. Cramdilly had just mentioned. Many, many things ended up in the Cramdilly mansion's basement, and it served as a lost and found for a lot of the kittens' trinkets and toys. With a deep sigh, Hovis clutched the knob of the basement door with his left hand, turned it with a squeak, and pushed forward.

Stepping into the dark space, he shut the door behind him and flicked an off-white light switch beside him. A staircase came into view as the walkway brightened from three single lamps hanging on the high, slanted ceiling. Stepping cautiously, he moved down the cracked and battered concrete steps, taking care not to step on any cobwebs. After a fairly long descent, Hovis found himself in the Cramdilly basement. To his right and left were monoliths of junk piled high to the seemingly topless ceiling. Ahead was a narrow pathway that allowed one to walk amongst these mountains. With a deep sigh, Hovis stepped forward, chose a single pile, and began to sift through it.

For what seemed like hours, he walked among the piles of stuff, searching for that one measly sheet of paper that would grant him a nice relaxing day tomorrow. If only it were easier said than done. Each pile was like a jigsaw puzzle: random pieces clumped together, needing to be sorted into their respectful places. For him, finding one scrap of paper to a children's story book was like finding a needle in a haystack. As he crawled, clawed and clambered through each pile of things, he would come across the strangest items that had no relation to what he was searching for. At one point, he had come across his old band's first and last record, which, in total disgust, he threw aside. In the next heap of stuff, he came across a wide variety of medieval weaponry, no doubt belonging to Mrs. Cramdilly, and a color coated assortment of bouncing balls.

As Hovis check and rechecked his watch, the hours ticked by. He wanted to find it now and get it over with, but it was no where near simple. He swore he had been through every pile at least three times, and each time, they seemed to have more stuff than before. He had seen it all: a fighter jet, an assortment of superhero motor bikes, a hoop of fire… but not one little sheet of paper. Not one. Hovis had given up. With one last sigh, he leaned back to take a seat on a redwood table… WHOOSH!

As he sat back, the object gave way beneath him, sending him crashing to the floor on his backside. His weight made the thing act like a teeter-totter. The object's other end flipped up, sending a baseball soaring through the air. It knocked into a lone encyclopedia standing upright on a box high above him, and it tumbled downward, slamming into Hovis's skull. He gave a hiss and clutched his head in both hands. He drew his knees to his chest and waited for a moment, waiting for the pain to stop.

"Careful, Hovis," a voice said. It rang in Hovis's ear like a symbol that had clanged too close. He got up shakily, his vision returning to normal, and saw the shadow of Mrs. Cramdilly. She held a candle between her bony fingers, and the firelight lit up her face in a way that made Hovis cringe. "You don't want to hurt yourself down here, especially with all of these horribly dangerous objects. Someone might not be able to hear you."

"Oooh… I'll be alright, Miss. Please, go back to bed; I'll be up in a moment." With a quick rub of his head, Hovis quickly redefined his posture.

"Oh, no need. I have something important to tell you anyhow. You see, dear, when I discovered that the storybook page was missing, I knew something was wrong. Something was unbalanced."

"I'm sorry, Miss?" Hovis inquired. _Unbalanced, _he thought, _what could she possibly mean? Perhaps she is sleepwalking._

"That's right Hovis. Something is _terribly _wrong." Slowly, Mrs. Cramdilly shifted her candle to her right, revealing a strange and empty golden doorframe. The frame itself was strange because of it's odd shape; it seemed to curve off into an **'r'**. "What's left of this doorway his behind you, on the ground, Hovis."

Hovis turned about and looked down on the object he had just knocked over. There was a redwood door, a boxy pattern etched into its front side and a glistening gold doorknob sitting left and center.

"That door had fallen from the doorway a short time ago, and at the same time the page had gone missing. I came down here to see what had happened and if I could help in any way, but it seems my age has overcome my strength. I cannot lift that door myself." As Mrs. Cramdilly explained, Hovis was glancing back and forth between the old lady, the doorway, and the strange **'r'** shaped door, utterly confused. "Hovis, that door is a portal to another world."

"Miss, I am sorry if I sound rude, but this is insane! All this nonsense of portals and falling doors…" Hovis trailed off as Mrs. Cramdilly frowned.

"This is no nonsense, dear. You know, I have had my share of fantastic discoveries, and this is one of them, and one of my favorites. Sit down, and I will tell you about it." With that, Hovis took a seat on a box, being sure that this one would not fall from beneath him. The old lady began to speak.

"It was not too long ago in my travels to India that I came across this door in an antique shop. Intrigued by it's design and how splendid it might look in the mansion, I bought it from the salesman who ran the shop. Before I left, however, he warned me that this door had a 'story' behind it, and that I would have to keep track of it. It was my duty, he said to me, and handed me a book: this one, to be exact." Mrs. Cramdilly pulled the storybook from behind her back; the one she had read to the young cats.

"Upon returning home, I had the door installed to my bedroom, and had not yet opened the book. But, one night, as I walked to my room, I did. And my, when I opened that door, did I get a surprise! I had stumbled into a world like none I had ever seen. Men and creatures roamed everywhere! Clouds were like little bricks, the ground was not always solid where I stepped, and mountains were topped with sherbet. Why, my first day there, I scaled one of those mountains just to get a treat!" She giggled with delight. "The world was topsy-turvy, upside down and right side up everywhere I went. It was marvelous. Then, as I left that world and returned to ours, my book shuddered beneath my arm. I opened it, and there it was! That world's story had begun, and ever since that day, I have been keeping track, page by page.

"But, not all was well all the time. At some points, the story would halt, and I would have to enter that world myself and attempt to fix the situation. There have been a few instances where I have been cut, scraped, and bruised by goblins, ghouls and monsters, but in the end, everything had turned out fine. Then, after a while, the problems all stopped. Everything was perfect, and for years afterward, the stories continued. I thought that my duty was over. When the kittens were born, I decided to read this book's many stories to them. But tonight… oh, tonight is something else. In my condition, there is nothing I can do. I fear that world will fall into peril. That is why you, Hovis, are down here."

Hovis cocked an eyebrow at old Mrs. Cramdilly. Her story had interested him so, and he had sat back and listened intently. But now, she was suddenly addressing him as some kind of solution. He wasn't sure what to say. It wouldn't matter.

"Hovis, may I ask you to reattach the door?"

Without a word, Hovis took a short bow, turned about, and hoisted the door into his arms. He then squabbled his way to the empty doorframe, positioned the door upright, and attempted to lock it into place. The door, surprisingly, flung from his grip and did it for him, a glow of light emitting from the door's rim once it was in place. Hovis stood in amazement. Mrs. Cramdilly had been right: there was another place beyond this doorway.

"Hovis, I ask so much of you on this night. You are so much stronger and have so much more stamina than I could ever hope to re-obtain. Therefore, I ask you to travel into my storybook's world, assess the current situation, and correct it. Once this is done, the story will flow smoothly along, and a new chapter will be completed. If you cannot do this in time…" Mrs. Cramdilly shuddered, "Disaster."

"I understand," Hovis answered, "But why me?"

"I am weak, and the kittens are too young. If anyone else were to learn of the place beyond that doorway, who knows what could go wrong!" With that, the old lady took a step backward. Hovis turned to face the glowing doorway, and with a gulp, he grabbed and turned the knob. The door flung toward him, and he jolted back just in time to avoid being hit. A white light glared through the doorway, and Hovis sheltered his eyes. He turned back to his Mistress.

"By the way, Hovis," Mrs. Cramdilly projected over the whine of the door's light, "Time between here and that world is parallel, whatever amount of time you spend there will pass here as well. Please, be wary about how much time you spend there, or you may lose your sense and return too late for your own good. I wish you the best of luck, Hovis. Godspeed."

Hovis felt an unnatural force surround him, like a hand gripping his entire body. He felt an immense rush of air as he flew forward, ripping through the portal to this 'new world'. Colors and sensations and lights and sounds surrounded him. He wanted to scream, but everything else drowned his voice. He was flying and falling all at once, spinning and spinning and then…

Darkness… and silence.

---

**Author's Notes: Well, I hope you all have enjoyed this first chapter... cause you may not get another one in a while. I've been so busy with school, but I will have a tiny bit of spare time. I'll get to work on Chapter 2 soon. I can't promise anything, however. Peace. - Xegrot**


	2. Chapter 2

Origin of the Dragon Rider

Chapter Two

**Author's Note: Please be aware that this chapter does a lot of explaining and is quite the opposite of short. I advise that you take your time and read this in sections rather than all at once to save yourself from getting bored. I would also advise you ****do not skip**** this chapter, because you will most certainly be lost if you do. –Xegrot**

**---**

Hovis's eyes would not open. He would not permit them to: not after that freak show for the senses. He could, however, feel warmth against his face and light against his eyes. He could feel a cool, smooth surface beneath his hands. He was lying on his back, arms and legs eagle spread. He had no idea where he could be, since the basement was usually cold and the mansion did not have floors as smooth; even the marble flooring in the bathrooms could not match what he felt. He needed to know: Was his horrible trek a dream? A nightmare of some kind? Or did it really just happen? Had he really been flung into a parallel storybook universe that was, by description, in great peril? He had to know. He cracked his eyes just a smidgen, and suddenly drew a pang of regret. He was nearly blind.

The light was far more intense than he had imagined it to be. Whatever sky was above him was completely lit up in a soft white glow. However, there were dark spots here and there, dotting the heavens in an uneven pattern. They were shaped like stars, and they blinked in and out of focus as well. As his eyes adjusted, Hovis turned his head to the side. The color orange entered his vision. With that, he shot forward into a sitting position. He was sitting on what seemed to be a large block… just as old Mrs. Cramdilly had described. _I must be dreaming,_ he thought. As he looked around, he began to spot more blocks on the horizon, although each one was a different color than the last. It was like some kind of color coated heaven.

As he glanced about, his gaze wandered to his foot. It was bare; his shoe had apparently flung off, and he spotted it; it was teetering on the edge of the block. Suddenly, it began to tip forward. Hovis swung his legs around, drew back, and lunged to grab his shoe. He missed. As it disappeared from view over the side, he looked down. His stomach sank at the sight of a large sphere below him, his shoe becoming a dot as it hurtled down. The earth below was littered with greens, reds, blues, oranges, blacks, and pinks. And a second later, his hand slipped. He fell forward. As he rotated, he took one last glance at the orange block before everything started spinning. Sky, earth, sky, earth, it just didn't stop as the air around him whooshed past. He couldn't scream.

After a few moments, an interesting change occurred. The glow of the sky was lessening, and the stars were getting brighter. The earth below seemed to be shifting colors, as if they had been in negative all this time. The air was getting colder and brisker as he fell faster. The image was much different now, and even he could tell while spinning. The sky was an inky blue-black, the stars shown white, and the earth below him was now closer than before, all of its previous colors reversed. Everything had gone quiet.

But only until he hit the ground; at least, it looked like ground. Somehow, he had managed to land feet first into a red, dense liquid mush that surrounded him on all sides. A wave rose up for a few seconds, hovered, and then plopped back down. He groaned and spit as he attempted to remove the stuff from his throat: his face had also landed in the goo. He was stunned at his own luck. He was so stunned, in fact, that he did not hear the thud of footsteps inching forward. As Hovis attempted to move his head, he spotted some strange blue bushes out of the corner of his eye. And they were moving.

A roar erupted, and a dozen figures jumped from their hiding place in the bush. One of them jumped clean over his head, and it was at that moment he noticed how small the mush puddle was. It was barely larger than his own body cirumference, and he was fairly thin at the most. A snap cracked in his ear, and the goop sloshed around, splashing onto his head. He suddenly felt something sharp tug at his collar, and he strained his eyes to see the source of the voice that cried, "Heave!" in a booming tone.

Hovis felt himself being pulled from his mushy prison, his entire body coated in the red junk, whatever it was. As his head thudded against solid ground, a trio of shadows half his size stood over him. They began to converse.

"Well, what is it?" asked the one who had given the command to pull him free. Something sharp poked at Hovis's nose, and he grunted.

"I can't be sure, Captain, but I know this: It looks a lot like that other one that used to visit us."

That's when it struck him. He wasn't dreaming. This was all real… he had really been flung through a secret door and into an alternate dimension. He had really lost his shoe. And he had really fallen from outer space, landed in a pile of red goo, and was now lying on his back as stocky shadows conversed over his head.

What a strange reality this was.

At last, Hovis had worked up the mental security he needed to know that he was really here, and asked, "Excuse me, sir, but who are you?"

The shadows stopped dead. An eerie silence fell, and the shadows stared down at him. Finally, the largest shadow stooped down, and put his nose against Hovis's. It was wet. Hovis gasped as he stared into the face of a brown bear. His beady black eyes pierced into his as he glared down at Hovis. The strangest thing about his bear was that it was wearing clothing… armor, to be exact. A steel plated helmet sat snuggly over his furry face, and his shoulders and chest were clad in large plates of metal. A purple and pink band had been painted across his chest plate.

"Who am I?" the bear Captain asked suddenly, his muzzle wrinkling as he moved his lips. "Who am **I?**" he questioned more sternly. Hovis began to caterpillar-crawl backwards as the bear stomped closer. As he backed into the blue bush, the bear said, "I am the Captain of this Army, the ruler of this Kingdom, and someone whom should NOT BE INTERUPPTED!"

"YES, SIR!" suddenly sprang from Hovis's lips without consciousness, and he quickly shut them. The Captain smiled and said, "I like you already, you… you…" His brow furrowed in confusion. "What **are **you?" he asked, frowning. "You do resemble the woman that came here... except you're…" The Captain scratched at a tuft of loose hair that hung on his chin.

"… You're _bald._"

Hovis only rolled his eyes, ignoring the two other, simpler looking bear soldiers as they nodded in agreement, spiral patterned lances slung over their shoulders.

"Yeah," one of them finally said, "You also haven't got those things that poked out of her che-"

"Alright!" Hovis interrupted once again, grinding his teeth in case the bear had finished its sentence. The Captain growled, and drew a surprisingly broad sword from the sheath on his back. He jabbed it at his nose.

"I don't know who you think you are, but if you utter another word without my permission, this sword is going through your HEART!" The Captain merely stood there, his sword resting sharp edge down against his nose. The steel was cold. The other soldiers stood at attention, doing nothing. Finally, the Captain said, "You may speak freely, but first, tell us who you are." Hovis's answers came quick.

"My name is Hovis, I live in a mansion, and I serve an old woman named Mrs. Cramdilly! She has three little kittens, she was reading a book, and a page was missing so I went looking for it! Then she showed me a secret door in her basement and I went in it and I fell here and I'mfrightenedandIdon'tknowwhatthedevilisgoingonandI'minsaneandblahBlahBlAhBLAHABLAH-" -Ulp-.

The Captain now had a vice grip on Hovis's lips, his claws piercing into his skin. "That's quite enough," the Captain muttered, and then turned to his men. He gave them a signal: he made a spiral in the air with his finger, balled his paw into a fist, and made a tugging motion toward his body. Five of the soldiers nodded, turned, and trooped off into the darkness. "Now, _Hovis,_" he continued, "Who did you say you serve?"

"Mih-hih-Chm-Didi."

The Captain gave a bewildered glance as he heard this muffled response, only to realize he was still holding Hovis's lips shut. "Oops," he said, "I apologize." With that, he let go, and Hovis's lips snapped back into place. "Say again?"

"Mrs. Cramdilly!" Hovis half shouted. The Captain scratched at his goatee again, and then stopped. His arm dropped, and his mouth did the same. His soldiers followed suit, and suddenly, a mad whisper swept through the group.

"Mrs. Cramdilly… the Peace-Keeper." the Captain exclaimed. "Where is she? I haven't seen her in ages… wait a moment…" The Captain's smile turned into a grimace, and he bared his teeth suddenly. "What have you done with her?" He lowered his sword to Hovis's chest.

"Nothing!" Hovis replied, his eyes fixed on the blade. "She's just… old. She could not come back here if she wanted to. She's too weak, and she needed someone to come in her place. That's why I'm here." Hovis looked back up into the Captain's face. Slowly, the bear's expression faltered. The bush rustled again, and the five bears sprang out, holding a looped cord.

"So," the Captain said softly, "There is no chance of seeing her again?" Hovis shook his head. "I see," the Captain continued, his ears drooping. Suddenly, he was serious once more, and straightened his posture. "Bind him," he ordered flatly, pointing to Hovis, "and take him to the castle. Question him. And leave me to myself: I have much to think about." With this final order, the Captain grasped his paws behind his back and marched away. The five bear soldiers surrounded Hovis, pounced, and in seconds had him tied and thrown into the arms of the other soldiers. As they walked with him, all he could see was the odd velvet sky, and he wondered if he'd make it out of this crazy place alive.

---

Hovis awoke once more. He sat up, rubbing the back of his neck. It felt unusually sore, as did his head. _It must have been that fall, _he thought. He took a glance at his surroundings. The room the soldiers had placed him in was in the shape of an octagon and made entirely of scratched stone blocks. A bronze, cone shaped torch was mounted on the wall just at the foot of his feathery, shifting bed…

…_wait_… His thoughts were interrupted as the mass of softness beneath him rose further off the ground, shook, and dumped him onto the floor. He sat and stared, bewildered at the massive, fluffy beast that occupied the room. It was half sheep, half rhino, and half dog… looking, with a soft looking body, furry legs, and a horn on the end of its muzzle. It stared at Hovis with beady, red eyes for a few seconds before chewing on its own tongue. It was at that moment that Hovis felt that the floor was unbearably cold. As he stood, he looked down to see that all but his boxers had been stripped off his body.

"What kind of place is this?" Hovis screamed into the beast's face, only to get a burst of hot air back. It was so powerful that it blew him backwards, and he slid back, stopping at the feet of two bear soldiers.

"It's an animal pen," one of them answered, his paws placed sternly on his hips, "And we don't like it when people scream at Booboo that way. You're coming with us." The bear nodded to his comrade, and together, they took each of Hovis's arms and began to drag him. Booboo gave one last grunt before the door slammed shut. Hovis was amazed at the soldier's strength for their size; they were only a little bigger than half his own size.

"Why am I in so much pain?" Hovis groaned, attempting to crack his neck with no avail.

"Oh, sorry chap, we accidentally dropped you on the way here. The road gets a bit bumpy."

_That explains the suddenly blackout_, Hovis thought as the soldiers dragged him farther. He got the chance to look around as he was moving along. Wherever he was, the designer was certainly no Michael Angelo. The hallway arches were uneven, carved jaggedly from stone, and had the oddest extrusions and bumps here and there. The walls formed zigzag hallways that connected each arch, twisting into convoluted corridors and branching off into other rooms. Tapestries hung in even rows along each wall, woven with the same design and colors as the soldier's cuirasses: Purple and pink stripes. Torches were mounted few and far apart, making each passage eerily bleak. Overall, this fortress or castle was not the kind of place Hovis would ever want to visit again, although he had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him he would.

Suddenly, Hovis was being knocked up and down as the soldiers ascended a stairway. It was like being used as a paddle ball and it was not comfortable. The soldiers stopped.

"He doesn't look too good," one of the soldiers noted as he watched the butler's head spin from dizziness. "Maybe _dragging _him up the stairs isn't the best idea." The other bear merely nodded, and together, they hoisted Hovis above them and continued on.

_This is ridiculous, _Hovis complained in his thoughts. All he had done was fall into a pile of mush, and now he was a prisoner to bears clad in armor that seemed to _like _dragging him wherever they went. _Was that so wrong of me, _Hovis wondered as the stairway leveled off. He desperately wanted to be at home with Mrs. Cramdilly and the kittens. Anywhere else could have been better than here. Finally, the soldiers opened another doorway and flung him inside, slamming the door behind him. He picked himself up off the carpeted floor and stood there meekly, his arms crossed and knees buckled.

The room he now stood in was much more elegant than the others he had seen on his way here. Jewels hung from the ceiling and walls in gorgeous patterns that reflected the light from two crystal lanterns that stood at the sides of a shiny wooden desk. And there, right in the center, was the Bear Captain. His furry legs were crossed and rested atop the desk as his left foot twirled lightly. His left arm rested on his stomach, and the other was fiddling with a thin strip of metal. His helmet, shoulder pads, and chest plate were gone. Instead, he wore a crimson robe with that same purple and pink stripe. He seemed so focused on the metal strip, that he did not notice Hovis when he came in.

"Oh!" the Captain exclaimed, finally catching the half-naked Hovis out of the corner of his eye. He unfolded his legs, lowered them, and sat at attention. He set the piece of metal very gently on the desk. "I apologize for any rough treatment my soldiers may have given you. Now that we know who you serve, I am honored to be in your presence." The Captain rose from his desk, walked around it, and bowed. "However," he began again, rising from his bow with a glare on his face, "Your attitude is something I do not appreciate."

"Wonderful," Hovis replied, still staring around the room rather than at the Captain. "Do you mind getting me some… EHEM… clothes?" He didn't really need to explain himself. The Captain merely stood for a few seconds, still glaring, and then turned to a peculiar contraption on the wall to his right. Atop a tiny wooden table was a rectangular box made of dense-looking metal and a twisted horn mounted on its edge. The Captain lifted the horn from its mount, raised it to his lips, and stuck his tongue inside. He closed his eyes, and suddenly, a voice boomed in his ears.

"Would a servant report to my chamber and bring the human clothing? Immediately!" With that, the Captain opened his eyes, removed his tongue from the horn's opening, and stood with his arms crossed. The horn mysteriously drifted back into position. "They'll be here shortly. For now," he continued, waving his paw at a chair near the desk, "Have a seat and get comfortable. I have some things to discuss with you." Hovis nodded, shuffled over to the soft looking chair, and sat. The cushions were silky and smooth, yet firm beneath his weight. They were perfect.

A moment later, a bear dressed in a formal white hooded robe marched through the door, adorning a larger black robe in his arms. Hovis shakily stood, took the clothes, and thanked the servant. The bear bowed graciously before him, paws clasped together, and promptly left the chamber. Hovis then put his arms through the sleeves, slipped his legs into the sewn in trousers, and tied a silk swash around his waist. He took his seat once more. The Captain had been waiting patiently, his back turned and his gaze directed out a dark window that revealed a lit courtyard far below. He caught a dressed Hovis through the window's reflection, and turned back.

"Now then," he began, "I have a few things I would like to address before I cut to the situation at hand." He raised a fist and uncurled one finger. "Firstly, you may address me as Captain, Sir, my Lord, or on certain occasions, my name: Bruto Nicodemus." Hovis could see that the name fit. Bruto's build was brawny and muscular. Nicodemus, however, was a fairly sophisticated sounding name, so he imagined that the Captain was bright or wise. It seemed to help that he had graying hairs on his temples.

Another finger went up. "Secondly, you have a few restrictions here in my castle. You are allowed in every room except for mine, unless you have my permission, and the Gold Room. I shouldn't have to explain what's there. Besides, you wouldn't be able to find it if you wanted to."

"Are you so sure?" Hovis questioned, raising an eyebrow. "I am a butler after all. It's part of my job"

"You said you couldn't find the page to a book," Bruto retorted flatly, and he repeated the gesture. Hovis sank in his chair. "Also, stay away from the large locked doors in the Northern Wing. We have recently captured one of the Dragon-Orc Army's berserker trolls, and he is behind those doors. He's gotten out a time or two as well. Best to not even go there at all." Bruto sat at his desk once more and picked up the thin strip of metal again. He held the strip up to his mouth and bit at it with his side molars. He then attempted to bend the metal in his jaws' grip, but alas, it did not move.

"Finally," Bruto said, rubbing his cheek with his other paw, "You will be put through a series of training sessions over the next few weeks. We will be testing your skills in athletics and dexterity. Not only that, but we will also be testing a suit of armor we are currently constructing for you." He tossed the tiny strip of metal to Hovis. As he caught it, however, his hand dropped into his lap… and right between his legs.

"Ow," Hovis croaked, an eye twitching. Bruto calmly walked over and took the strip from him.

"Apparently, this material is too heavy for you. Shame… it's the strongest we've got! Why are you humans so weak? Look at you," Bruto grabbed Hovis's arm and shook it around. "Barely even flesh and bone! By the time I'm done with you, you'll be wearing armor five times **heavier** than THIS!" He waved the strip in front of Hovis's face and tossed it back onto his desk. He did not pay attention as it ripped right through the wood and flattened the carpet with a muffled thump. He cleared his throat once, looked back onto a bejeweled triangle than hung from the far wall, and widened his eyes. "Would you look at the time," he muttered, apparently noting the 'clock' he had set eyes on. "Well, it seems I won't be able to tell you everything else I had planned to. You might as well head back to your own dimension, wherever it may be." He pointed to the door.

"Sir, I have no idea _how _to get back," Hovis replied, rising from his seat awkwardly. "I fell from the sky, if you didn't notice. Unless you have some sort of thousand foot ladder or elevator, I cannot return home."

"What's an elevator?"

"Never mind," Hovis waved Bruto's question away. "What should I do?"

"Well," Bruto said quietly, stroking at his goatee, "Mrs. Cramdilly told me that she just focused on the door, and it would appear before her. You might as well try that, and try imagining this place when you come back tomorrow. Why did you want to end up on a cloud, anyway?"

"I didn't."

"That's alright, then. I will be expecting to see you tomorrow. If I do not, you will be in deep." He jumped up and grabbed Hovis by the collar of his robe. "And I mean, _deep._"

"I understand, sir."

"And while you're there, say hello to Mrs. Cramdilly for me." As Bruto let go, Hovis brushed himself off and stepped toward the door. He turned to take one last look at Bruto, his new Captain and trainer, as he strode to an octagonal rug in the room's center. It suddenly shifted as he stepped onto it, and began to rise nosily. A slot in the ceiling slid open, and Bruto began to disappear into it.

"I thought you didn't know what elevators were," Hovis shouted over the crackling of the rising platform.

"I don't…" Bruto answered back, and after a moment, he was gone.


End file.
